Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)

Macon County PWSD 1

Trihalomethanes are cancer-causing contaminants that form during water treatment with chlorine and other disinfectants. The total trihalomethanes group includes four chemicals: chloroform, bromodichloromethane, dibromochloromethane and bromoform. Read More.

Studies conducted in the U.S. and Europe have found that drinking tap water that carries disinfection byproducts increases the risk of developing bladder cancer. In animal studies, all trihalomethanes cause liver, kidney and intestinal tumors. Some human epidemiological studies also reported an association between disinfection byproducts and an increased risk of problems during pregnancy, including spontaneous miscarriage, cardiovascular defects, neural tube defects and low birth weight.

In 2010, the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment published a draft public health goal for the trihalomethanes group at 0.8 parts per billion, or 100 times lower than the federal legal limit of 80 parts per billion for this contaminant group.

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 0.15 ppb

The health guideline of 0.15 parts per billion, or ppb, for the group of four trihalomethanes, or THM4/TTHM, was defined in a peer-reviewed scientific study by EWG and represents a one-in-one-million lifetime cancer risk level.

EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) 80 ppb

The legal limit for the group of four trihalomethanes, established in 1998, was based on the need for residual disinfectant levels in water served to customers and the cost of treatment. This limit does not fully protect against the risk of cancer due to exposure to trihalomethanes.